Posted by Brandon Rink on October 26, 2010 under ACC Basketball | Comments are off for this article
Tigers and Heels might find themselves fighting for an NCAA bid. (Photo per OrangeandWhite.com, by Mark Crammer)
We covered 4-6 last week – today, we hit 7-9 – which has a couple surprises…
7) North Carolina Tar Heels
Potential: Elite 8
Actual: Bubble – In, second round
Strengths: Talent everywhere, Roy Williams’ experience.
Weaknesses: Depth, big men, experience, guard play (for now).
Make or Break Player: F John Henson
Grades…
Starting Backcourt – B
Larry Drew II – 6’2, 8.5 PPG/6 APG
Reggie Bullock – 6’6, Freshman
Starting Frontcourt – A
Harrison Barnes – 6’6, Freshman
John Henson – 6’10, 5.7 PPG/4.4 RPG
Tyler Zeller – 7’0, 9.3 PPG/4.6 RPG
Bench – B
Circle It: at Miami, January 26 – Games like this will be the difference between a contender Tar Heels squad and just another middle of the road team.
Final Analysis: UNC could very well be my “Duke” this season. I had a lot of question marks about the Blue Devils going into ’09 and they more than proved me wrong. Well, it’s your turn, UNC. Teams don’t go from 5-11 to 11-5 overnight – Barnes or not. Staying healthy seems to be an issue with the Tar Heels, and only ten players on the roster due to transfers and Graves’ dismissal will keep UNC on its “Heels.” Another thing that troubled me about ’09 was Roy Williams. He just did not seem to have a handle on which players to play and which to bench – will he get any better with this group of players? Jury is out.
Why They Could Be Higher: Last season turns out to be just an aberration, and Williams steers the ship chock full of Mickey D All-Americans back to the top.
Why They Could Be Lower: Injuries, depth really hurt them and the Heels fall back to the NIT.
8) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Potential: Second Round
Actual: Bubble – NIT
Strengths: Defense, guard-play.
Weaknesses: Quality size, scoring, often coaching.
Make or Break Player: F Glenn Rice Jr.
Grades…
Starting Backcourt – B
Iman Shumpert – 6’5, 10 PPG/4.0 APG
Moe Miller – 6’2, 3.9 PPG/2.3 APG
Brian Oliver – 6’6, 7.1 PPG/0.9 APG
Starting Frontcourt – C
Glenn Rice Jr. – 6’5,10.2 PPG/7 RPG
Kammeon Holsey – 6’8, Redshirt freshman
Bench – B-
Circle It: at Northwestern – We get an early look at the new scheme of the Jackets on the road in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
Final Analysis: Georgia Tech’s makeup promises to be very similar to their mascot. Small, but in a furious swarm – the Jackets all talked up a more aggressive, up-tempo game with no guy over 6’8 in the projected starting lineup. However annoying they may be to opposing D’s – I wonder if they can put up enough points to hang with more complete teams in the upper echelon of the ACC…so, I have them just on the outside looking in.
Why They Could Be Higher: Defense dominates and a couple of the guards really step up into the scorer’s role to take the pressure off their lack of size.
Why They Could Be Lower: Teams dominate the paint all year and points are hard to come by.
9) Clemson Tigers
Potential: Sweet 16
Actual: Bubble – NIT
Strengths: Depth, experienced PG.
Weaknesses: New systems on offense/defense with new coach, lack of pure shooters, perimeter shooting, inexperience in paint beyond Grant.
Make or Break Player: F Milton Jennings
Grades…
Starting Backcourt – B
Demontez Stitt – 6’2, 11.4 PPG/3.1 APG
Tanner Smith – 6’5, 8.7 PPG/2.2 APG
Starting Frontcourt – B
Milton Jennings – 6’9, 3.2 PPG/2.7 RPG
Devin Booker – 6’8, 4.5 PPG/2.9 RPG
Jerai Grant – 6’8, 7.2 PPG/4.7 RPG
Bench – B-
Circle It: at Georgia Tech, February 5 – Clemson will need every big road win they can get and this is a winnable one for them.
Final Analysis: Clemson has talent, but does it fit Brownell’s system? In the Purnell years, Tiger fans often wondered if there was an offensive system at all – now, Brownell comes in with a motion offense that could be difficult to put in action in ACC play in season one. This is a young team outside of Demontez Stitt and their best days are ahead – they will be a feisty team, but just not consistent enough to make back to the NCAA Tourney.
Why They Could Be Higher: One of the young guards like Andre Young, Noel Johnson, and/or Tanner Smith steps up from the perimeter to stretch defenses and open up the post for Grant, Booker, and Jennings.
Why They Could Be Lower: New system just overwhelms the young Tigers and they struggle in ACC play.
How far off am I on UNC? Will Clemson and Georgia Tech make a move up too?
Posted by Brandon Rink on October 25, 2010 under ACC Football | Comments are off for this article
Dabo finally got the better of Paul Johnson in a game that might send the respective teams in opposite directions. (Phote per OrangeandWhite.com)
Ranking week 8 in ACC football – first my mini-recap from my weekly wrap up column for Southern Pigskin (check it out!)…
If you’re not paying attention to Virginia Tech you better start. The Hokies are getting better and winning, easily.
They won 44-7 over Duke Saturday – 52-21 the week before against Wake Forest and 45-21 the week before that…they have scored 40+ in 5 of the last 6 six games coming out of the 0-2 start. November promises to be much tougher with trips to Chapel Hill and Miami, but the Hokies are looking good.
Meanwhile down in Miami, Jacory Harris minimized mistakes and threw 3 TDs in a 33-10 win over UNC – effectively knocking the Heels out of the Coastal race the way Virginia Tech is looking.
Clemson got the monkey off their back and their hopes still alive with the 27-13 win over Georgia Tech in Death Valley – the Jackets are now with 2 losses in conference…both to Atlantic teams as their divisional schedule picks up in November with ranked Virginia Tech in Lane and Miami back at Bobby Dodd.
The Terps jumped out to a 17-point and held on for dear life at the end against an injury-plagued BC team on the road – winning 24-21.
Virginia would like you to ignore how close they were to losing to Eastern Michigan and just look at the 27 point final score margin in the 48-21 win.
ACC Blogger Power Poll – Week 8
Rank..(LW)..Team…………………………………Record 1)..(1)..Florida State Seminoles………….6-1 (4-0 ACC)
The ‘Noles had the week off to rest Ponder and prepare for the Thursday-nighter at Raliegh. Reports out of FSU have a Bagdad Bob-esque feel on Ponder throwing the ball better – we shall see Thursday.
2)..(2)..Virginia Tech Hokies…………………6-2 (4-0 ACC)
Folks are starting to put the Hokies into the top spot – based on the last few weeks, makes sense, but they have not played anybody since NC State. How FSU plays at NC State Thursday will go a long ways in determining FSU vs. VT. Again, not much to talk about from the Duke game – 44-7…complete domination.
3)..(3)..Miami Hurricanes………………………5-2 (3-1 ACC) The ‘Canes basically dominated 3 quarters of football to a 33-10 win over UNC – Harris passed for 3 TDs and Damien Berry rushed for 109 yards and a TD. Miami’s defense bowed up against an improved T.J. Yates – keeping his throws from connecting in the endzone and picking him off twice. They travel to Virginia next.
4)..(4)..North Carolina State Wolfpack………..5-2 (2-1 ACC)
Biggest game in…a long time for NC State as a win means the Atlantic is theirs to lose going into November – a loss and it’s back to the middle of the pack.
5)..(7)..Clemson Tigers………………4-3 (2-2 ACC)
Andre Ellington moved into the conversation for top back in the ACC with 257 all-purpose yards and 3 TDs in the 27-13 convincing win over Georgia Tech for a little revenge from last year. The Tigers face a reeling BC team that, before last year, had their number.
6)..(5)..Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets…………..5-3 (4-2 ACC)
They could not get anything going early, and Clemson jumped on them behind Ellington in the first half. Ultimately, the Yellow Jackets just did not have the defense to stick with the Tigers, and it forced Georgia Tech to go to the air a lot more than they would have like late. Now, it’s a week to prepare for the high-flyin’ Hokies’ O next Thursday night.
7)..(6)..North Carolina Tar Heels…………4-3 (2-2 ACC) One extreme to the other for the Heels – big road win last week and blowout road loss the next. It’s a loss that brought UNC back to reality a bit – they are a good team, but not quite an ACC contender.
8)..(8)..Maryland Terrapins……………………5-2 (2-1 ACC)
Man, what do you do with this team? The Terps jumped out to a 24-7 lead and held on to the 24-21 win at BC. At 2-1 in ACC play, they have beat two struggling ACC teams and are in control of their destiny in the Atlantic with NC State and Florida State coming to College Park, but the Coastal road trips to Virginia and Miami might trip them up before they get there.
9)..(9)..Virginia Cavaliers…………………..3-4 (0-3 ACC)
The ‘Hoos 48-21 win over Eastern Michigan wasn’t pretty – Eagles were within 3 as late as 7:47 in the third quarter, but a 70-yard kickoff return rolled the momentum to the big win.
10)..(10)..Boston College Eagles………………….2-5 (0-4 ACC)
It was a brutal, brutal loss for several reasons – the loss of Albright for the season, injuries to Davis and Gause also, and falling behind 24-7, getting back within 3, and the Terps shutting the door with some key interceptions and a failed fourth down draw keeping it a 24-21 loss. Man, preseason, we had them with 10 wins – just wow.
11)..(11)..Wake Forest Demon Deacons…2-5 (1-3 ACC)
Deacs got the week off to heal up and try to knock off the Terps in College Park this week.
12)..(12)..Duke Blue Devils…………………………1-6 (0-4 ACC)
Whatever they did right against Miami did not translate over to the road trip to Lane. Cheer up, Blue Devils, you’re still mathematically eligible to make a run for a bowl!
Agree/disagree? Thoughts on the weekend and what’s coming up? Comment on ACC football…
Posted by Brandon Rink on October 22, 2010 under ACC Football | Comments are off for this article
Clemson's Ellington has been the big playmaker on offense and special teams for the Tigers. Stopping him will be a big emphasis for the Jackets. (Photo per OrangeandWhite.com)
Picking the week in ACC football straight-up and ATS…liking the home teams this week…
ACC Pick’Em (43-15 so far on the season)
10/23/10 – Duke Blue Devils @ Virginia Tech Hokies / ACC Network / 12:00 p.m. ET
The Lead: The Hokies complete the third of three cupcakes before the Georgia Tech matchup with the Duke Blue Devils coming to town.
Watch 4: Hokies to continue their roll
Duke really doesn’t do anything on defense well – Hokies just do what they did against Wake and they will put up the points again.
The Pick: Hokies 42 Devils 21
Maryland Terrapins @ Boston College Eagles / ESPN3 / 1:00 p.m. ET
The Lead: Two teams trying to shake off losing streaks in an Atlantic battle to stay out of the bottom.
Watch 4: Close matchup, but the late shakeup on Terps o-line due to an awful wreck is a factor, and BC wins
DeSouza’s injury hurts – because I was really feeling Maryland here…BC gets just enough on offense and holds off O’Brien and the Terps.
The Lead: Johnson vs. Dabo. Johnson vs. Steele. Nesbitt vs. Bowers. Blair vs. Clemson? This is one of the more fun rivalries in ACC play and a must-watch.
Watch 4: Clemson’s d-line wreaks havoc and Parker finds a rhythm with Hopkins back
Everybody’s favorite announcer, Craig James, tweeted it earlier this week – that Clemson’s defense has the ability to push Nesbitt into bad decisions by effecting the timing with a good push off the line. Bowers is having a career year and the rest of the line has been good as well – I’m expecting the Tigers to execute well enough on offense for the win to finally get the monkey off their back and a win over the Jackets.
The Pick: Tigers 24 Jackets 17
Eastern Michigan Eagles @ Virginia Cavaliers / ESPN3 / 6:00 p.m. ET
The Lead: Virginia licks their wounds from the UNC blowout loss with a game against the 1-6 Eagles.
Watch 4: Everything to look better against a poor MAC team
UVA should bring the Payne and Verica will have a solid game for a big (as in scoring margin) win.
The Pick: ‘Hoos 45 Eagles 17
North Carolina Tar Heels @ Miami Hurricanes / ESPN2 / 7:30 p.m. ET
The Lead: Pretender or contender? We’ll find this out about Miami or UNC Saturday as another loss puts them behind the 8-ball in the Coastal race.
Watch 4: Miami to finally beat Davis, in a squeaker
Hard to be really confident in the ‘Canes after a lackluster effort against the Blue Devils, but the Miami defense forces some turnovers off Yates finally and the U wins a sloppy game.
The Pick: The U 24 Heels 20
ATS Section (24-21-1 to date)
Duke and under 27 at Virginia Tech
Take to Bank %: 35%
The Hokies are putting up NCAA 2011 nos. on offense, but I think the combo of looking ahead a bit and not wanting to risk injuries will keep this under 4 TDs.
UNC and under 6.5 at Miami
Take to Bank %: 30%
I think I’ve learned by now not to bet on Miami – gotta give UNC the edge on at least keeping it close.
Clemson and over 5.5 vs. Georgia Tech
Take to Bank %: 15%
If you’ve been keeping track, I’ve basically been taking Clemson and Georgia Tech each week – so something has to give here…I’ll take the home team.
BC and over 4 vs. Maryland
Take to Bank %: 5%
Hard to have confidence in either team here, but I’ll take the home Eagles.
Virginia and over 24 vs. Eastern Michigan
Take to Bank %: 35%
The ‘Hoos get out some frustration against the Eagles in a big win.
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